Evolution: 24 myths and misconceptions

Evolution: 24 myths and misconceptions

www.newscientist.com

It will soon be 200 years since the birth of Charles Darwin and 150 years since the publication of On the Origin of Species, arguably the most important book ever written. In it, Darwin outlined an idea that many still find shocking - that all life on Earth, including human life, evolved through natural selection.

Yet most people around the world are not taught the truth about evolution

So here is New Scientist's guide to some of the most common myths and misconceptions about evolution.

(visit the link for the full news article)

What was the source of all life on earth? How does evolution know what to do next. Genes? Brain? DNA? How do these evolution programs embed themselves?

Life procreates and there exists no proof that the universe procreates, an organism reacts to external stimuli and there exists no proof the universe reacts or that there exists external stimuli, unprovable as yet and possibly ever

It will be interesting to experiment with putting some microbes on Mars and then letting them survive under controlled conditions for some time and then letting them slowly get acclimatized to the Mars environment. See then, their evolution into superior beings, maybe over a million years from now !



www.newscientist.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 16-4-2009 by sunny_2008ny]

Oh great...
We're about to be flooded by religious crazies.


Can't wait until the "Evolution is wrong because my bible says god made everything!" crowd comes in here.

Pandora's box.
Evolution threads are "crazy religious people" magnets.



Aside from that, yeah, I've noticed many people holding these misconceptions. I find those who argue against evolution always misunderstand evolution.
They often argue their misconceptions, rather than actually reading what evolution is.

The misconceived argument I love the most is when people argue that small evolutionary changes can't add up over time to become a large evolutionary change.
... it's like they skipped math as a kid or something.

The biggest misconception in this thread already is this: The theory is about SPECIATION. The Origin Of Species. Not the origin of life. That has nothing to do with evolution which is the idea that a lifeform changes over time to meet certain needs-eventually becoming incompatible with other similar creatures. Like a bird species that splits and does not mate because one prefers mating songs and the other a mating dance.

Again: Nothing to do with how life began. Just how life changes.

(edit)
Just realized it sounded strange how I started. Was meaning that is the biggest. Not that the thread is guilty

[edit on 16-4-2009 by lordtyp0]

reply to post by lordtyp0


I totallt agree. The fact that we as a species have changed over time does not mean that we were not "created" by something. I don't think that evolution is about creation at all, just about the fact that we as a species adapt to the environment into which we are put and to me that makes sense.

reply to post by oneinthesame

The fact that we as a species have changed over time does not mean that we were not "created" by something

Humans have not been "created", but have evolved out of apes which today are a completely different species. Then we as a race should identify apes as our ancestors, some of who evolved into humans.

Is not evolution the creator of human race in this case and with so many other life forms?

So the question is who created the primitive life forms and allowed them to evolve?

reply to post by sunny_2008ny


"So the question is who created the primitive life forms and allowed them to evolve? "

Why is a "creator" required?

reply to post by sunny_2008ny


Humans did not evolve out of apes. Apes (family: pongidae) and humans (family:hominidae) both evolved from a common ancestor.

You seem to be anthropomorphizing evolution, using words like "allow" and "know". Evolution is a process, not a sentient being. You need to know some basics about evolution before discussing the subject.

Isn't there a whole forum for this?

Anyway, the theory of evolution only deals with things that are already alive, if you want to talk about the origin of life instead of the origin of species, you're talking abiogenesis.

From a link in the New Scientist article mentionned in the OP

www.talkorigins.org...

It is a very complete and thorough analysis of the claim made by the religious peoples arguing against evolution, Darwin and the creation of earth.

I'm gonna read it more and keep the link for the next time I try to put some scientific senses in the talk of the few people I know who still believe every word written in the 2000 years old alegorical fiction known as the bible.